Christmas Lattice Star

Saturday I wrote about my confusion as the recipient of some (probably) well-intentioned but ultimately misplaced charity. As this is the season for giving, I’d like to ask you to put serious thought into what you give, how you give, and to whom it will be given. People who work among the homeless warn against handing money to beggars. No matter what their cardboard signs say, the cash invariably goes to support the habit that put them on the street in the first place. If they ask for food, you might buy them a bag of takeaway at a nearby eatery. But when people prepare food at home (or who knows where) and drive downtown to hand it out on street corners, it almost always ends up on the curb, where it can cause a public health problem. Your impulse to help is praiseworthy; don’t suppress it. But do give to organizations that can put your donation to good use.